ADHD Medication in the Summer?
ByFor many years – doctors suggested that people only take ADD/ADHD medication for school days. So, doctors suggested that people stop their stimulant medicine on weekends and holidays (including Christmas breaks, summer breaks, etc.).
In the past 10-15 years, there has been more of a recognition that ADD/ADHD impacts many more areas of people’s lives than just academics. ADD/ADHD impacts social areas, psychological areas, emotional areas, etc. As such, doctors now recommend taking stimulant medicine all week long, and during the summer breaks as well.
I’d like to get your perspective. Does your child or teen take a ‘medication holiday’ during the summer holiday?
Please vote on this poll here, and share any comments in the blog post below.
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Dr. Kenny
At first we would give our son weekend holidays and such … but then we realized that it wasn’t really fair to him. His social skills suffered, his ability to deal with situations suffered and as a result, he wasn’t a happy boy (and we weren’t happy either). So it is best to keep them stable.
I have to say our situation was the same as above. We started out giving medication holidays, as advised, but our daughter’s ADD affected so many life situations, every day, not only on school days. We now give her medication everyday and she is so much happier. We use several behavioral strategies with her also. Our pediatrician’s attitude towards medication holidays has changed too.
We have started experimenting with ADD medication for my 6 year old daughter who is also autistic. She does better in school but is sad and anxious – we stopped in the summer – we’ve tried Adderall 5 and 10mg and now vyvanse
They seem to be the same in terms of side effect – sad, irritable , some rash, loss of appetite but thankfully no slep issues.
SHe is not hyper so not sure if we are on the right track – this was recommended by a psychologist and medication prescribed by her pediatrician.
any advice? thanks in advance
To Dalya’s Dad, I would say you should take her to a psychiatrist because he/she will be know more about how to adjust her meds so that she is not sad and anxious. Better grades are not worth being consistently miserable. Also, it is not very common, but ADHD meds and antidepressants can sometimes mimic the symptoms of bipolar disorder in some people. I actually got that from both of the non-stimulant meds I tried for ADHD (Strattera and Wellbutrin). Therefore I am sticking with the stimulants. A psych doctor will know if this is the problem and how to deal with it.
Regarding the blog post, I find it very difficult to take long medication holidays as an adult because of the stress it puts on my personal relationships and my performance at work. Once you start taking it, you lose a lot of the coping mechanisms you had developed to deal with things before you had the medication to help you out and make you more normal. On a med holiday, you won’t immediately re-learn these. I have taken holidays lasting a couple of weeks and they are very, very, very frustrating. Therefore I hardly ever purposely take a day off from it anymore.
You didn’t ask about adults, but I’ll tell you anyway. There’s no way I would take a day off of my concerta. Every time I unwittingly forget to take my meds, I realize because my day basically consists of me being the equivalent of a drooling blob.
Especially dangerous as I am a freelancer and work at home.
My grandson has been on everything, it works for a while but then it stopps working and we keep changing the meds. Over the summer he is on Foccalin helps a little but once school starts we will put him back on Concerta this will ge good for about 5 months then we will change to Vyvanse. The first week of Vyvanse is good then you can tell the different evey day a little less.
What can we do?
Would you stop wearing your glasses in the summer? Leave out the hearing aid? Toss the vitamins, thyroid meds, HRT, insulin, antidepressants, sunscreen? Everything we do either enhances or diminishes our ability to navigate and experience life on our own terms.
The real question is, do you like yourself and your life better on or off medication?
When it works, medication really can help us be who we are at our best.
We do not make our son (12 yrs) take medication on weekends or days out of school. Although it helps him focus and perform well in school, he doesn’t feel like himself. A lower dose does nothing at all, so we’ve got the lowest dose that provides benefits … he just doesn’t like how he feels.
Some teachers think that meds magically make a perfect kid. He can have bad days even on med – it doesn’t make him a model student.
His older brother was kept on medication every single day & he would get accustomed to the dose … we were constantly going up .. no, wait .. let’s try a lower dose .. no, go back up again. Let’s try a different med. Let’s try TWO meds. It was crazy. He’s totally off meds now.
We have just stopped the Strattera (years ago we tried ritalin but after a while it just didn’t work that well) because we are worried about long term effects of the use of antidepressants (see Robert Whitaker, ‘an anatomy of an epidemic’).
And we haven’t seen anu difference.
None of the current medications or those in clinical trial have been effective or without unacceptable side effects, so I’m on permanent holiday. As Patrick wrote – you cope.
In my practice parents are assisted to find out why their child is exhibiting these symptoms (ADHD is not a disease) and in most cases the problem is resolved in two to three weeks. The greatest problem is diet and an allergic reaction to the sugar in their breakfast cereal.
Please Dr. Handleman, stop poisoning our children with drugs for simple symptoms of an allergic reaction.
I don’t take med breaks. I will take the risk of trying new meds or some different combination, but I’m a working father and have a difficult time holding down any job when off meds all together.
My advice to parents of ADHD kids is to closely with your psychiatrist when changing meds. It may not take too long to notice when something is not right.
We have two ADHD children in our home. One is 13 and one is 15. We continue to give medication during the summer to maintain sanity to all involved but we do reduce the doses. Because they don’t have to sit at a desk all day they don’t need to have as much concentration. We feel it is helpful for their growth and appetite to reduce their meds – just a little.
I am not an expert just a parent but wanted to also comment to Dalya’s Dad, we found that too high of a dose makes my son sad and miserable also. We also found that the ‘right’ dose of what he takes (Focalin XR) does NOT last the full 10-12 hours at all but that upping the dose was too much for him but that adding an afternoon does of regular Focalin worked well. before trying this we tried switching to the patch, but I don’t recall the med name but that had HORRIBLE side effects for him. I think every one has to work to find what’s right . if your Dr is not helping or working with you to find what’s right, try another Dr. Ours is amazing at listening to what we’re seeing and helping us. We also went through very extensive evaluations to know that we were dealing ADHD exclusively.
because my oldest son has what I consider pretty extreme symptoms we don’t take ANY days off because it affects EVERYTHING and everyone if he’s not taking it. He also has very little side effects so I don’t see the need.
Although I would say that my 8 year old daughter’s ADHD is fairly mild, I find the days we take holidays from the meds are usually not good. The only time we purposefully take a break is when she is seriously lacking in sleep. And then, I plan those days to be full of activity so there is less opportunity for inappropriate behavior and frustration.
In years past we continued medication. this year we went about 3 weeks without.
My son is 13 and said he wanted to eat. His impulsiveness caused trouble with his 9 year old brother and his Dad and I. He was getting yelled at a lot. I started giving him short term meds in the afternoon so we wouldn’t kill him (joke). He is sleeping until noon everyday as well, even when he crashes early, so I didn’t want to give him his long term meds. The afternoon dose is working well. This is a weird year for him. Next year he will be working as a camp counseler and will do regular meds.
I am an adult on ADHD medication. I take 60 mg of Vyvanse everyday. I can’t imagine taking a break from it. It absolutely helps me focus.
We were originally advised to give our son medication holidays during summer and on weekends. However, last summer we decided it was better to continue with the medication. There were a number of reasons, but in the end, one of my biggest concerns was for his safety while doing typical 10 year old activities: riding his bike, crossing our quiet neighbourhood street, etc. With medication, our son is careful and exercises wonderful judgement…without medication, he “forgets” to look for cars, etc. and I’m petrified from the moment he sets foot outside the door.
Our son is10 years old with ADHD combined type but most significantly struggles with hyperactivity. He has been taking ADHD medication consistantly as long as he can remember. When we suggested in family discussion potentially reducing the medication during vacations his response was a very passionate “No! I don’t want to be in trouble all summer!” He was very clear in his own words described that he doesn’t like feeling out of control and frequently being in trouble because his energy is unmanagable. We have accepted his preference and never brought the subject up to him again.
I have my son on a supplement called pine tree bark extract. He’s been taking it for nearly 3 yrs now and it makes a world of a difference without the need for medication. This summer I had forgotten to give it to him 4 days in a row and realized I had forgotten how bad his ADHD could be, especially since it had been more than a year since I had forgotten to give him this supplement (again same results). I’m so thankful to have learned about this supplement since it has been a great alternative to medication.
My son is 14 and decided he doesn’t like to take his meds. We came to an agreement to keep peace in the family. He has to take his meds Monday through Friday for school but he can the weekends off. It makes the weekends hell for us but it it reduces the battles during the week.
I would prefer him to take the medication daily because it does more than just help with school. The medication helps him calm down and interact with all of us. Life is easier for him and us.
In line with what Jonathan and Lee had mentioned, giving a ‘medicine holiday’ to my 10 year old son would affect not only his attention but his social skills (especially during summer time when kids play together most of the day) so it would not be fair with him. We can see the difference if he has skipped a dose one afternoon … I can’t imagine if we gave him a whole 6 to 8 weeks break. In addition, it has been so hard to find the right combination and of medicines and dosage that I would not take the risk of messing it up with a long break.
Thanks – will be trying to find a psych who has ADD experience and I agree loss of sparkle and sadness in a child is absolutely not worth it
I do not think there is a clear yes/no answer. While it is important that medication be taken on a consistent basis, the ‘medication vacation’ truly depends on a the individual’s situation and what they are going to be doing during the summer. What if the child is attending summer school? What if the child is involved in an activity that requires attention to detail? What works for one child does not necessarily work for another … and I think that has to be kept in mind.
My daughter does not take a medication holiday because we both know that
many different areas of her life would suffer. Also, she is a new driver and I feel it’s safer for her to be on medication when she is driving.
I know you’re talking about kids here but since I’ve been waiting 70 years to outgrow my ADHD and may soon be entering my second childhood, I thought I might qualify to answer. Of course I take my meds in the summer. My ADHD doesn’t take a holiday.
I struggled with the concept at first because I don’t feel any different whether or not I take meds. Then I noticed that my meds did wonders to improve the attitudes of other people. When I take my meds everyone around me seems to be so much more polite and considerate – possibly because I’m not annoying them with my impulsivity etc.
I don’t take a holiday from my glasses either – they help me focus too.
Just would like to add that I am 44 year old male, and diagnosed with ADHD two years ago. I am prescribed Biphetin, and I am amazed of how well my medications work. I am able to do things more calmly and quietly between my ears !! It really has quieted the screaming that’s been in my head since I was a little boy. I am able to see a lot more clearly. If you have ADHD then you know what I mean.
I am disabled and find when I don’t take my meds…(often because ins.. wants to screw around)…I cross the street when I shouldn’t and almost get hit, I’m in a wheelchair. I loose my keys wallet etc.
I feel I even need a higher dose to accomplish things but the DRs always act like I am drug seeking. It is a real prob lem as I need to work as my social security is not enough so all I do is work and the space out!
Also I am a polio survivor and deal with fatique besides ADD.
I have twin 15 yr. old boys both with ADHD. Years ago a psychologist told us that it isn’t fair to the boys to not give them their meds only during the week, etc. and confuse them with the on and off effect. This summer I decided to reduce the Focalin by 1/3 to see if they would do ok and if they would have an easier time getting to sleep. I didn’t see any real difference with either. Now, one of the boys is spending one-on-one time with Grandma and she hasn’t given him any meds at her house (purposely) to see if he sleeps and has a better appetite. Both have happened, and because he is in a setting without much stimulus, she says he is doing fine. He told her today that he wants his meds because he is always too hungry, so he took his Focalin. (Last night he also texted me at midnight.) I suspect he would be ok in a very calm setting, but his impulsiveness would cause him problems otherwise. I will try to see myself how he has done when he gets home.
I take my son off of his meds in the summer because I don’t want to have to continue to up the amount. Just like anything else I think your body needs more and more to have the same results. My son was off it all summer now I think we need to go back down to 20 mg Vyvanse because 30mg is making him sleepy.
I answered that the child takes a “holiday” from medication but the child is me, a senior citizen living with ADHD.
I have been suffering the multiple, compounded effects of a life running as fast as I could, trying to be like everyone else. When I was diagnosed with this disorder I at last attempted university, knowing my parameters. I did not finish but did three years – a major achievement for one who dropped out of school at 13. During my university years I took a couple of medications and when I stopped school I stopped the meds. Now that I am hoping to get back into the work force I find that I cannot afford the Strattera that is not supported by OHIP for seniors (or whatever that is called). The Concerta alone does not do it for me.
I enjoyed my crazy mind without the medication but know that it needs focus to be a happy and productive employee. I consider my time off from school and life in many ways to be comparable to school summer vacation. It is wonderful to have free reign of a creative, albeit unconventional, mind.
I wish that there was a programme for those of us who need Strattera but cannot afford it.
I just saw Etta K Brown’s message above, “Please Dr. Handleman, stop poisoning our children with drugs for simple symptoms of an allergic reaction” (August 6, 2010 at 3:00 pm) and couldn’t disagree more.
I avoid sugar in my food and practice a very healthy diet regimen. I also exercise regularly (running, weight lifting, canoing, dancing, climbing, and other vigorous sports) and get plenty of sleep. In other words, I am very careful about my health and lifestyle. In spite of this, I have been waiting 70 years to outgrow my ADHD and I think it’s probably here to stay.
Thankfully,there are medications that can help me take time to think before I speak and focus long enough to store pertinent information in my memory.
There are many “poisons” in our environment that can kill or seriously harm us if mis-used, yet are vital to our survival. Oxygen, nitrogen and sunshine (UV) are only three of them.
I agree with Etta that ADHD is not a disease, but it is a neurological condition that thousands of us carry with us for a lifetime.
Yes Etta, too much sugar and other poor diet choices can cause ADHD-like symptoms in many people, but that is not the whole picture. Your blog entry is akin to saying, “It is proven that breathing Carbon Monoxide can cause death. Therefore If you don’t breathe CO, you won’t die.”
The thought that you make your living advising people on learning disabilities is a scary one.
Robert
I agree that this is not just a yes or no answer. My daughter takes 2 adhd pills in the morning and then 2 again at lunch – during school. Over the summer, I have just been giving her the 2 a.m. pills. I’ve done so just based on the fact that our summer schedule is more relaxed, she gets to sleep in a little longer and I don’t feel that she needs to be as focused all day long. However, having said that, if I know that something has been planned that she will need to be more focused for a longer period of time, or it’s just going to be a longer or busier day, I certainly have no problem topping her up with her afternoon pills – it’s better for both her and I.
Both my son and I have add/adhd. He is just busy in the summer as he is during the school year therefore he doesn’t take a vacation from his meds. I am a 51 year with ADD/ADHD and I am just as busy on the weekends as I am during the week. If I forget to take my concerta I am useless to anyone. When I can’t focus and get things done I fall in a depression and don’t get anything done.
I am an adult with ADHD & it affects my sleep, if I go a couple days with out meds I do not sleep, soooooooooooooooooooo… no vacations here. God bless!
Perhaps unlike many of the respondents, I’m ‘Hyperkinetic’ as an exacerbated result of having to be kept on a very high blood level of Thyroxine (T4). I’m now in my early sixties, in phenomenal shape considering the recurrent Thyroid Cancer and treatments. I’m an irreconcilable long-distance cyclist. The high T4 level is necessary to suppress regrowth of Thyroid, or Thyroid like tissues.
There is not a direct correlation of T4 to energy levels, but it is very necessary to facilitate, if not encourage that state. Studies have been done on Thyroid and ADD/ADHD, to inconclusive results. My Endo is a Prof Emeritus at the UofT, and we’ve had many a detailed discussion on the subject. He has also lectured to the Clarke Institute. (The modern name escapes me).
So, here is a parameter presented that has not been mentioned in the text or the comments thereafter:
If one is ‘Hyperkinetic’ (a term my Endo is very comfortable with, since it doesn’t bring into play the very emotional/unquantifiable terms ADD/ADHD)(he doesn’t clinically like my being on Dexedrine, but fully realizes the social necessity), then a ‘holiday’ is not only indicated in warmer weather, it is highly beneficial.
Over the years, attempts to further the discussion with Endo and even myself have distilled down to two words: Engagement, and Dissipation.
When able to do the above, Nature provides exquisite mechanisms to reward them, and the term ‘Endorphins’ comes into play. The drug regimen is totally internal, and the most addictive reward known to Nature. Any other addictive substance can only, at best, mimic them, let alone evoke them.
But what if one isn’t able to “Engage and Dissipate” (the inference being ‘Productively’)?
If the cause and effect relationship is unitary and direct (and cause and effect is rarely so), then it becomes destructive. You run in circles, frustrating yourself and those interacting with you.
There is always a cost to regimen (drug) intervention. But if it stops the downward spiral of defeat and self-cynicism, then it is usually worth it.
So, Summer for me is the ability to ride my freakin arse off, look good, feel good, and work-out a lot of the knots that build-up over time. A mental and physical purge.
At least in my case (and I must emphasize yet again, my metabolism is a multiple of what is normal) I can take a ‘holiday’, albeit it would appear to be ‘manic’ in some respects to some Psychs (it certainly has in the past, having been grossly misdiagnosed for decades).
There are a lot more axes than just the Manic Depressive one in the Psyche. Why modern psychiatry has taken so long to recognize this is probably due to the fact that most in the field are static thinkers.
If ‘excessive energy’ can be engaged and dissipated in productive physical pursuits, then why not? The Endorphins are Nature’s just rewards, along with a much better sense of self, mentally and physically.
The question, really, is when is the ‘holiday’ over? I dread ‘going back into the cage’, but like an untamed animal, if one is unable to roam the wilds unfettered, and starts to become ‘unruly’ in close quarters, then it’s time to (I state this with great reservation, but there *IS* an emotional element to this) ‘admit defeat’ and be chemically induced to be ‘normal’, and ‘acquiesce’ until the next ‘holiday’.
Perhaps there’s some unedited insight in there for many of you parents struggling to understand the nature of ‘beast’ that is your child. The ‘beast’ is part of all of us. The expression of it is what makes us individual and unique.
I have two thoughts. First let me say that I have two children who have ADHD and I have been diagnosed with ADHD.
For my kids, my son takes a holiday during the summer. He feels the difference when he is off his medication and on as a mild suppression of his great personality. (high social). But for school he needs the assistance to stay focused in class.
For myshelf, I do not take a break. I am in a paper/computer business environment, the medication keeps me focused. So I feel the need for the medication. Although, I would consider a holiday to see what would happen. I was diagnosed at 46. I have been on meds for 6 years.
We just started our 11-year-old son on ADHD medication after 11 years of trying to figure out his impulsivity. We didn’t even know that “impulsivity” was what we needed to figure out as we’d been raising him. But now, with recent events in our lives, we’ve been able to connect all the dots and put a name to some of his traits. At his pediatrician’s advice and after 3 psychological evaluations, he’s on his 4th week of the newly FDA-approved Intuniv. All seems to be going fairly well, we have noticed a decrease in his impulsivity and some improvement in his ability to relate to others. The side effects include sleepiness throughout the day and for him, exacerbation of sleep disturbances that he’d already had before he started medication. Despite these side effects, I wouldn’t even think of taking drug holidays. That would not be fair to him in teaching him that the way his brain works is no one’s “fault”, it just is. It is, however, his responsibility to take care of his brain brain the best way he can. I use the analogy with him of my incredibly fair Irish skin. Its not my fault that God gave me the ancestors I had and the subsequent genes that go along with it, but it is my responsibility to care daily for my skin to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.
I’d be interested to read Dr. Handelman’s comment regarding Ms. Brown’s approach in her practice. If I could have teased out one food addivitive or ingredient in my son’s diet that caused his brain to function in a certain way I would have done it. We tried in earnest. Dr. Handelman, what are your thoughts? Ms. Brown, do you have a website or blog?
I would never imagine skipping any time. Level med’s keeps my life steady. At 69, on meds over 20 years,using 57mg Concerta and 25mg Zoloft, I will never skip.
I did not take my teen off medication this summer hoping it is going to be an easier vacation, but it was the worst. i don’t mean to say it is better without but couldn’t feel any defferece. She is on Concerta 36 mg plus cipralex 20 mg and resperdal 0.5 mg i hate the amount of medication she is on but can’t even lower the dose as she is a popcorn with it so imagine how is it going to be without it
Dreaming of a day of peace
Bless all ADHD’s parents
my son (12) and daughter (9) are both on Strattera so they do not take a holiday..it’s important to be certain people are aware this drug falls under the antidepressant category and one MUST wean off and not stop cold turkey. You might think your doc is well aware and would never have u stop cold turkey but I persoanlly experienced this and was at the ER afraid I was dying (very low blood pressure). Moral of this story is, one should really use a psych for psych meds and never stop strattera cold turkey.
I am so interested in the perspective of people with ADHD regarding how it makes them feel as well as changes in personality when off and off the medications. One person said that he didn’t feel like himself when on the medication so he takes med holidays so that he can be the person that he is. Another commented on a mild suppression of the person’s great personallity when on the meds. From the outside perspective (that of a person who does not have ADHD) I see the benefits (more ability to focus, less scattered thoughts, abillity to complete a task) so really want to understand the down side, from the perspective of the person with ADHD, of the medications.
I have taken my son off Vyvanse because of the side effect of weight loss/appettite decrease. I hope to use the summer to Bulk him up” so when he drops a few pounds during the school year it won’t efect his health. If there is another alternative I would love to hear about it.
my daughter is 16 and has been on adhd meds since she was 4. without her meds, she cannot even focus enough to hold a conversation- it’s like talking to a pinball machine. her behavior and judgement abilities suffer tremendously, as well as her lack of impulse control. we would never take her off meds for any reason- it would be totally infair to all involved but especially her.(she is on meds every waking hour as she cannot function without). a big clue for us has been that even with her age and typical teenage rebelliousness, she has never even tried to stop taking her meds. she has told us that she LIKES taking her meds cuz it helps her focus, control herself, and maintain her friendships.
I take a break myself due to expense – was on the Daytrana patch.
My 11-year-old son is on a fairly high dose of various medications (for depression/anxiety/ADHD) but I would never entertain the thought of taking a “break” from the meds…. it is hard enough in the mornings before the meds take effect…. he is unfocused, out of control and aggressive. I don’t think it does any service to a child to have them feeling this way. And it impacts the family in a very negative way to have so much stress and frustration going on.
We do not take meds anymore we use vitamins they work much better and it something your body needs anyway so on your summer med break maybe check it out see if that works for you
As an adult diagnosed with ADHD at age 46 I took the attitude that I could pay attention well in some circumstances, but could not generalise it.
I decided that I needed to study attention and techniques to improve it. Ultimately that took me to formal mindfulness training.
One of the great problems with just mindlessly taking stimulants is that you might get the work done, and get your life back in order but never really improve your attention skills.
It is easier to be mindful of how attentive one is when not working- so I found taking it on days off really helpful.
It was also helpful to me to sometimes take it later in the day- and watch for the onset of the effect, and notice the difference between attentive and inattentive. Then I was able to know if other things I was doing were helping the inattention or not. ( am I getting hotter or colder?).
The end result- less than 22 months on medication, and now I do so well that the medication is really redundant. I’ve stopped it, and have no problems. Not bad from a starting point of 50mg dexamphetamine per day.
[Gail says:
August 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm
I am so interested in the perspective of people with ADHD regarding how it makes them feel as well as changes in personality when off and off the medications. One person said that he didn’t feel like himself when on the medication so he takes med holidays so that he can be the person that he is. Another commented on a mild suppression of the person’s great personallity when on the meds. From the outside perspective (that of a person who does not have ADHD) I see the benefits (more ability to focus, less scattered thoughts, abillity to complete a task) so really want to understand the down side, from the perspective of the person with ADHD, of the medications.]
Gail: You make excellent observations. To be very honest, I find some of the comments from other posters very painful, even distressing, mostly because it is parents making decisions for their children. Chemical behavioural modification is one thing when self-applied, quite another when done to others, even those that are your wards.
A very blunt answer to how the ‘meds’ affect me: Jekyll and Hyde. My analogy is a bit ‘over the top’ in terms of making it a case of ‘good vs evil’ but the change is that dramatic. It disturbs me to a degree, as ones sense of ‘self’ (a very rich discussion in philosophy as well as psychiatry) wishes to preserve the present state.
More mildly, it is characterized as my being a wild extrovert, with wonderful concepts that defy definition, to being an abject introvert, who puts those concepts to paper, schematics, equations and drawings. Extrovert comes up with the dreams and concepts, Introvert defines and builds them.
By not claiming to be “ADHD”, you allow a response without it being prejudicial. And I do see a lot of prejudice with how many parents view the behaviour of their children.
Sir Edmund Hillary was once asked: Why do you climb Mt. Everest? He is purported to have answered: “Because it is there”.
He’s a liar! He needed the ‘fix’ of Endorphins, something that many ADD/ADHD meds mimic. If he climbed a skyscraper, sure as heck the cops would be there to arrest him. It would be termed socially unacceptable.
But climb a mountain, and you’re a hero! How much ‘disruptive behaviour’ is one step away from genius? Context is everything.
A lot of what the ‘meds’ are about is not just “focus” (and they are excellent for that purpose, even in ‘normal’ people, as witnessed by NASA. the US Air Force and Navy all having a different view on taking them before critical maneuvers) but about ‘abnormals’ bending themselves to fit ‘the mold’. Individuals folding themselves to fit a pigeon-hole.
Like a lot of things in life, it is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. Sometimes it is just necessary to survive, or even excel. God knows we’ve all had jobs that were close to insufferable, but compared to starving? It’s a no-brainer (pun not intended). Life demands compromise.
Just re-reading your excellent post, I see you ask: “so (I) really want to understand the down side, from the perspective of the person with ADHD, of the medications.”.
Well….”All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. And as many others have observed, and Gail has noted their observations, it wouldn’t be a ‘holiday’ if it wasn’t fun relative to being on the meds.
The meds (In my case, Dexedrine) have a very unexpected effect in making me feel ‘relaxed’. In truth, in physiological terms, that is not the case, it truly is a stimulant, but it does relax in a physical as well as mental way. Blood Pressure goes down in my case! Totally contraindicated to rote medical literature, and in fact, my former Cardiologist. (She swore that Beta-Blockers would be necessary for the rest of my life, and gave me scornful looks when I’d arrive at her office on a racing bicycle). I won’t go into the number of complications from being so hyperthyroid, but almost all were driven by *anxiety*, a secondary result of hyperkinesis, not directly from the Thyroxine dose (Serum T4 levels) themself. If I don’t dissipate the excess energy in physical pursuit, or take my meds in lieu of, then Tachycardia presents itself.
Just as this is a “condition”, many ADD/ADHD patients will display same, but driven from a different vector. A vehicle speeding out of control may be due to no brakes, or it might be due to a stuck accelerator pedal. The intervention is the same in both cases. The vehicle must be brought under control, or many will be hurt, not least the individual behind the wheel.
So in some ways, the meds are respite from anxiety, when the raw energy is not manageable, and if gainfully applied, the ‘moderated’ energy allows productive engagement. And that = satisfaction, and a sense of self-worth at the end of the day.
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Kudos to those who use their full and unedited names in this forum. I can understand those who wish anonymity, but I see the ability to stand up and be counted as an affirmation of ability, not defeat!
Folks, never forget: Many ‘Great People’ are in fact ‘impulsives’. It’s not the impulsivity that’s the problem. It’s what you do with it!
Hey!! I think you all would get a kick out of this video on ADD from Santa Barbara’s up and coming rock band! It has received over 160,000 hits since its release!!
Hurry and watch it now before you get distracted!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Mxti91Coc&feature=email